What Do Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Do?
Job Description: Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Daily Life Of an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator
- Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
- Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
- Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
- Signal workers to discharge, dump, or level materials.
- Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
- Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.
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Qualities of an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator
Below is a list of the skills most Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators say are important on the job.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Types of Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator
- Front End Loader Operator
- Hyster Driver
- High Lift Operator
- Marsh Buggy Operator
- Plowing Gardens
Are There Job Opportunities for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators?
In the United States, there were 549,900 jobs for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 36,000 new jobs for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 65,900 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator are Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Delaware, or District of Columbia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Make A Lot Of Money?
The typical yearly salary for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators is somewhere between $24,910 and $51,620.

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators who work in Alaska, District of Columbia, or Hawaii, make the highest salaries.
How much do Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $33,520 |
Alaska | $53,580 |
Arizona | $35,910 |
Arkansas | $33,150 |
California | $37,940 |
Colorado | $36,670 |
Connecticut | $40,980 |
Delaware | $39,630 |
District of Columbia | $50,240 |
Florida | $36,460 |
Georgia | $36,700 |
Hawaii | $50,540 |
Idaho | $35,450 |
Illinois | $36,240 |
Indiana | $35,420 |
Iowa | $37,950 |
Kansas | $36,440 |
Kentucky | $33,980 |
Louisiana | $35,560 |
Maine | $35,920 |
Maryland | $40,490 |
Massachusetts | $39,370 |
Michigan | $37,830 |
Minnesota | $41,500 |
Mississippi | $31,500 |
Missouri | $35,750 |
Montana | $37,500 |
Nebraska | $34,880 |
Nevada | $38,400 |
New Hampshire | $41,340 |
New Jersey | $36,490 |
New Mexico | $37,650 |
New York | $42,340 |
North Carolina | $33,720 |
North Dakota | $39,920 |
Ohio | $35,490 |
Oklahoma | $36,140 |
Oregon | $37,410 |
Pennsylvania | $37,730 |
Rhode Island | $38,390 |
South Carolina | $34,820 |
South Dakota | $35,010 |
Tennessee | $33,810 |
Texas | $33,580 |
Utah | $35,850 |
Vermont | $39,690 |
Virginia | $37,900 |
Washington | $43,430 |
West Virginia | $39,200 |
Wisconsin | $37,890 |
Wyoming | $40,520 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- SAP
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Inventory management software
- RedPrairie DLx Warehouse
Becoming an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator
What education or degrees do I need to become an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Work

Below are examples of industries where Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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